Elston Howard vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Elston Howard played 1955–1968 as a hitter; Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Elston Howard (1955–1968) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Elston Howard finished with 1,491 hits and 168 home runs; Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Elston Howard, with .274 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Eddie Mathews's 2.
Elston Howard
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Eddie Mathews. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Elston Howard | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,625 | Leads: 2,391 |
| At-Bats | 5,443 | Leads: 8,537 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 2,315 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 354 |
| Triples | 53 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 168 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 775 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Elston Howard 45,555 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,531 PIV per season to 402, across 18 seasons to 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Elston Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Elston Howard owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Mathews. PIV agrees: Eddie Mathews grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Elston Howard and Eddie Mathews careers compare
The careers of Elston Howard (1955–1968) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) overlapped from 1955 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,625 games for Elston Howard and 2,391 for Eddie Mathews across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Elston Howard are batting average (.274 to .271). At the plate, Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376), and Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Eddie Mathews is the more power-leaning hitter, with 512 of 2,315 hits leaving the park.
Elston Howard vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Elston Howard in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Elston Howard, with .274 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Elston Howard's 1,491.